Indeterminate Maturity
by misanoe
Summary: Sawada's plan is simple but the people involved keep messing things up. Mangaverse
1. Sawada Shin

**Chapter 1: Sawada Shin**

"Oi, Sawada!"

The dyed redhead looked up from the cardboard box he was taping up, towards the sounds of a familiar voice accompanied by impatient pounding coming from his front door. Getting up, he made the short trek and greeted his recently turned former teacher. "What?"

"I just got a call from the school telling me you denied your admission from your university." She paused and looked around, noticing the half packed boxes and the items of furniture and clothes strewn across the floor, "What's all this?"

"I'm moving," he answered. Shin moved back to let her in, closing the door behind her back after she entered.

"What's going on? And why didn't you discuss this with me?" Yamaguchi demanded, eyeing her former pupil with some irritation.

"There wasn't much to say," he said with a shrug. "I'm not going to university and I found an employer willing to hire me."

"Doing what?"

"Errands and stuff. Someone I knew gave me an introduction with this well to do businessman. I hear he's pretty old and needs help with his business."

Yamaguchi frowned in displeasure, "You're going to be a lackey when you could be going to one of the top colleges in Japan?"

"It doesn't matter," Shin replied. "I never wanted to go to university anyways. I'll learn a trade or something."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" she asked.

"Yeah," he glanced at her, "Don't try to talk me out of it."

Resting her arms behind her head she shrugged, "Wasn't planning on it. It's your life and I'm not your teacher anymore. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing or there wasn't some kind of misfiled paperwork."

Shin looked fairly surprised, "That's a pretty easy going attitude coming from you."

"University isn't for everyone," she retorted. "Besides, you're the type of person that will do well in life, whatever you do. I should save my worries for Uchi and the others. Anyways," she pointed at his head, "when were you going to tell your beloved teacher you were moving?"

"I thought you just said you weren't my teacher anymore?" he muttered under his breath while walking back to the box he had been working on. "I haven't told anyone yet," he said, hunting for the duck tape and wondering where he had left it, he looked up when he saw Yamaguchi's proffered hand.

"Here, I'll help you." She unrolled a long strip and began to tape down the edges.

Briefly he looked hard at her bobbing pigtails, opening his mouth to say something before thinking better of it and leaning in to help her.

"Hey, don't accidentally break anything with your ox-like strength," he retorted as they worked in tandem to clear his things into the empty boxes.

Looking up from her pile to glare at him, her frown turned into a wicked grin as she held up a magazine in the air for Shin's viewing pleasure. "Something like this?" she teased.

To his horror, he blushed when he realized she had discovered one of those magazines. "Give that to me," he spluttered, trying to pluck it from her nimble fingers.

"Wahahahahaha, get it if you can," she laughed, easily sidestepping him as he tried to reclaim some dignity. Yamaguchi decided it was fun to see her normally apathetic student squirm with embarrassment and continued her game of cat and mouse. "Too slow!" she hollered after another evaded lunge.

After many more tries and misses, all to the triumphant cackling of Yamaguchi, Shin plopped down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall and tilted his head up to shoot a baleful look at the woman waving around his dirty magazine like a flag. "You're too lively," he accused her.

"Hah," Yamaguchi stopped prancing to point his magazine at him, evoking a slight wince from Shin every time she shook it at him, "brat, you're five years too slow. Get in shape."

"I am in shape," he muttered, "you've just got some monster stamina."

"What was that?" Yamaguchi asked, "I couldn't hear you against the sound of victory."

She had a very specific way of raising his ire. Determined, he got back up and eyed the small woman.

Standing in front of him with her hands resting on her hips, Yamaguchi smirked. "You ready to play with the big boys?" she asked.

He lunged again in answer, this time missing her by a few inches before landing against the opposite wall. Spinning around, his eyes caught her moving into one of her various fighting stances he had grown accustomed to, over the past year.

"Prepare yourself!" she challenged.

Shin grinned.

* * *

"Oi, I thought you were supposed to help me pack," he breathed heavily, lying in a pile of disarrayed clothing on the floor.

"Fool, I'm training you for the future," Yamaguchi answered, a little less winded and resting on her elbows with her legs sprawled out before her.

With much effort, Shin dropped his head to the left side and took in his studio. Several boxes had body indents while any clothes that might have been folded neatly and awaiting their turn in the suitcase were now scattered in every corner of the room. "I'm never letting you help me move again," he concluded.

"It's easy enough to clean." She answered. "I'd help you but," making a point to look at her watch she sat up and bounced up to her feet. "I'm missing The Wife of Yakuza. Those two better be taping it for me," she muttered ominously, cracking her knuckles as she thought of her 'brothers'.

"Only you would be watching that lame TV series," Shin mouthed from the floor, staring up at his ceiling.

Walking towards him, she hovered over his prone body, "Drop me a line sometime, when you're not too busy and take care of yourself." Heading towards the door, she opened it and paused, turning to grin at him. "Beat me someday and then called my tastes lame," she retorted, lopping the magazine in the air and watching it land next to Shin's head.

Shin smiled a little and watched Yamaguchi raise her hand behind her as she walked out of the door.

* * *

_5 years later in the Osaka prefecture _

"I heard she's undefeated. 23 matches in 7 years and no one's been able to take her down," he chuckled. "I'd love to see that little hellcat in action but I heard she beat Yoshi from the Tsubatsu gang last January. And even in my heyday I wasn't no Yoshi."

"That gorilla?"

"Yeah, tell me about it. So far as I know he's the only one who managed to get a few hits on her before she KO'ed him. She's damn strong. I don't see why that little missy doesn't take the boss's position herself."

"She has her reasons."

"Whatever they are, it's going to take a monster of a man to inherit that name."

"Thanks," his companion responded wryly. "Did you set it up?"

"Yeah, but they haven't answered back yet. Probably screening. With the family legacy on the line, they ain't going to take just any request from some low life hoodlums. And with the old man at the hospital now, she ain't got the time to piss around with all the dumb ass punks who think they can become a leader by beating a girl." Reaching in a pocket, he slid a cigarette out of a carton, putting it to his lips and leaning forward to the offered light, "I was surprised when boss told me you wanted a match. Thought you were going to stay here, become the second hand man with the way things were going."

"The boss knew I was going to challenge her, sooner or later."

"He did?" he scratched his head, "So wait, you met her or something? Or you just want to become the head of a family?"

"Something like that."

"Which one… heh, not that it matters so much. I doubt the Kuroda clan will let you fight her. You're a good kid but you're just too damn young and you haven't been in the business long enough. Give it a few years." He took a long drag on his cigarette, tilting his head thoughtfully as he exhaled. "It'd sure be sweet if you could beat her," he eyed the man in front of him, calculating his strength. "Adding the Kuroda clan to our list of friendlies wouldn't hurt none. Although it's going to take a hell of a miracle for you to win."

"Have you met her?"

"Once or twice, recently. She's been representing the Kuroda's lately, I guess since there's no one else to do the job. Her and that fancy lawyer they got over there. I'll tell you one thing though, that lady," his voice was filled with admiration, "I've seen prettier mugs but I ain't never met a woman like her before. There's not much a man couldn't do, with a woman like that beside him."

The redhead smiled. "I feel the same way." Getting up to leave, he patted the man on the back. "Give me a call to tell me the date for the meeting."

"Hey, what makes you so sure they'll take it?" he called after him a little too late.

"Kid's these days," he muttered to himself, flicking his cigarette butt on the ground and grinding it beneath his heel. "Who's going to accept a challenge from a kid like him? Just too damn young I tell yah," he said to the room.

"Shit," he muttered to himself when he heard his cell phone ring, patting down his pockets he searched through his jacket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open. "Yeah?" Listening to the other line for a few seconds, he snapped the phone shut and looked towards where the other man had departed. "I'll be damned…"

* * *

"Oi, Minoru."

Minoru looked up from the phone, "Ooshima Chief!"

"Was that Arai's Ryozo you were talking to?"

"Yeah. I set up the date for the challenge like you wanted."

"Good job, Minoru," Ooshima answered.

"Uh, chief?" Minoru ventured, "Why'd you want to accept this match for ojou, anyways? The challenger is six years her junior and I haven't heard that much about him."

"You questioning my judgment?" Ooshima challenged. "You think ojou's not good enough for a young man?"

Minoru started sweating, "I think its time to start dinner." Edging towards the hallway he made his escape.

Chuckling to himself, Ooshima lit his cigarette and let the smoke fill his lungs, breathing it out with satisfaction. "It's about time, Young Red Lion Master."


	2. The Lawyer

**Chapter 2: The Lawyer**

_Two weeks previous_

"Damn brats get stupider every year," Yamaguchi growled to herself as she marked her tenth exam with a bright red single digit. "No you moron, no! How did you get this answer? Where did it come from?" she continued to mumble, those around her well used to her self absorbed rants come exam season.

Forty minutes and 13 exams later, Yamaguchi capped her trusty marker and slapped it on the table. "The future of our nation is doomed," she announced to the now empty room. "It's filled with idiots who couldn't tell the difference between a multiplication or an addition sign if their lives were on the line." She paused. "Maybe I should put their lives on the line."

"If you get into trouble over that, you have my card," answered a teasing voice from behind the opening screen door.

"Shinohara-sensei!" Yamaguchi brightened. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard the boss got out of the hospital. If he's feeling up to it, I have a few papers that need his attention and I believe he had something to discuss with me."

Yamaguchi pulled out a seat cushion for Shinohara to sit on. "Wakamatsu took him to the hospital for a checkup but he should be back around now. Sit down while you wait and I'll have Minoru make tea."

"No need to take the trouble," he answered, taking the seat next to her. "I'm fine."

"Oi, Minoru, get over here and bring Shinohara-sensei some tea and sweets!" Yamaguchi hollered. She looked at Shinohara and smiled sweetly, "I insist."

Smiling, he nodded his assent. "Hard at work I see," he said, inclining his head towards her graded exams.

"There's not a smart one in the bunch," she replied, noting the circled six on the top of the stack, "but stupidity alone doesn't really hurt anyone and they're all good kids."

"It's in your nature to find the best in your students," he answered with a hint of a smile. "That's the kind of person you are."

Yamaguchi turned bright red, bashfully hiding her face with one hand. "Sensei…"

Peeping from the hallway, both Minoru and Tetsu watched their ojou turn into a love-sick puppy, squealing in embarrassment in front of Shinohara-sensei.

"Oi, how long do you think ojou will stay in love with sensei?" Minoru whispered while prepping the small table with various snacks he knew she was fond of.

"Until hell freezes over," Tetsu answered. "Ojou's loyal."

"It's kind of been awhile though, hasn't it?" Minoru answered. "You think she should move on or something?"

"That's not for us to question," Tetsu gruffly replied, "ojou is ojou; she'll do what she wants."

"But I've been thinking," Minoru continued, "that maybe sensei ain't into our ojou that way."

"How does that matter? If he don't like her like that, we'll force him to!" Tetsu grunted.

"Minoru, Tetsu! What are you fools jabbering about over there like old women? Where's sensei's tea?" Yamaguchi's voice hollered through the wall. "Get your asses over here!"

"Shit," both mumbled. Hustling to their feet, Minoru lead the way carrying the serving table with Tetsu at his heel. Reaching the family room, Tetsu slid the screen door open for Minoru to walk through.

Putting the table down, Minoru was had just finished pouring sensei's tea when they heard the front gate squeaking open.

"We're home!" a voice bellowed from the entrance, followed by greetings chanted to the boss from those in the vicinity.

"It looks like the boss is back, ojou."

"Yeah," Yamaguchi echoed, disappointed that she was losing Shinohara's company so soon after he arrived.

Oblivious, Shinohara stood up and smiled at her, "Good luck with your students, Kumiko-chan. I'll see you around."

"Thanks for the tea, Minoru," Shinohara said to the man before leaving the room.

"No prob, sensei." Minoru waited until he could no longer hear the footsteps of Shinohara and turned to face Yamaguchi. "Ojou, you look a little down. Something wrong?"

Startled, she looked up at Minoru in annoyance. "What are you, my therapist?"

"Sorry," he replied meekly. "Do you need anything else?"

"No," she answered before pausing to look at the table with the cups set out for two. "Actually, why don't you and Tetsu take this tea to oji-san and sensei."

"I'll make em a new batch, that's for you, ojou." Before she could protest, he scooped up one of the cups and fled the room with Tetsu in tow.

"Oi, Minoru!" she called after him. He paused outside the door. "Thanks, for the tea."

* * *

"Is that all of the paperwork that needs my attention?" Kuroda asked Shinohara from his bed, a thick wool blanket covering the bottom half of his body and his back resting against the headboard. Several packets of papers lay sprawled across the bed.

Shinohara nodded. "That's it for today." Looking at the dragon, Shinohara felt a small twinge of pain to see the deep set lines in the man's brow and the slight tremble of his worn hands.

"Heh, it's a little bit early for you to be feeling sorry for me," Kuroda responded, his voice dry. "I'm not exactly dead."

"You're too stubborn to die," Shinohara answered. He would have liked for Kuroda too take it easy for a bit, but he knew full well there was no arguing with the man. "Kyou-san said you wanted to speak to me?"

"Ah. That's right, Kyou is setting up an omiai for Kumiko. I'd like to go over this kid with you and see what you think of him."

Careful to keep his face blank, Shinohara's voice was neutral when he answered. "Of course."

"He's from the Tsubatsu clan in Osaka. They call him the Red Lion," Kuroda continued, his arms folded inside his yukata. "He's been with that gang for five years and has just turned 24. He doesn't hold any posts but he seems to be intelligent and well respected."

Shinohara studied Kuroda, not sure what the man was driving at but certain that this candidate was significant in some way. With only five years under his belt, they both knew the credentials of this kid were going to be sketchy. Under normal circumstances he would hardly be worth a mention. He waited for Kuroda to continue.

"Actually, you've met this boy once or twice, I believe. He was a student of Kumiko her first year at Shirokin."

"Sawada Shin," Shinohara answered, immediately remembering the sullen faced student that had faced off with him all those years ago.

"It seems the boy has become a man," Kuroda chuckled. "We haven't responded to the challenge yet. I'd like you to go to Osaka and meet him face to face before he appears before Kumiko. I'd send Kyou but he's needed here to run the gang now that I'm constricted to the home." He looked up at Shinohara, eyes serious. "And it's your personal judgment I'd like to hear. Find out about the man he's become."

Shinohara nodded. "As you wish."

"I'll have Wakamatsu clear up your schedule for next Tuesday. The omiai will be set up after your approval."

"I understand." Shinohara stood up, "Is there anything else…?"

"Find out if he's ready, Shinohara-sensei. If you see any weakness in his character from inexperience, reject the challenge…" his voice trailed off. "And if he is ready and you have any other objections, reject the challenge. Whether or not he meets Kumiko, it's entirely your call."

Shinohara made for the door, pausing with his hand resting against the screen.

"Five years ago a boy came to me." Kuroda answered Shinohara's silent question. "He knelt on the floor in front of me, looked me in the eyes, and would you like to know what he said?" he asked.

"Please continue."

"He said to me, 'Kuroda-san, I am in love with your grand daughter. I would like your blessing to marry her.' The audacity of this kid, and the entire time, unflinchingly he kept my gaze. I thought to myself then, 'now here is a boy that has the makings of a real man.' The look of his eyes, they reminded me a lot of yours when you first came to work for me. No matter how many times I told you to get lost, you looked straight forward and you've never looked back since. Like you, he only looks forward. I think it would take that kind of man to win Kumiko's heart. Don't you agree, Shinohara-sensei?"

A knock was heard from outside the room. "It seems it's time for my medication." Kuroda grunted from the bed. "How tiresome. On your way out send Kyou in."

Nodding, respectfully Shinohara bowed to Kuroda and took his leave.

Kuroda sighed after Shinohara left the room. He had long felt the years roll in and he was beginning to think he wouldn't mind so much a permanent retirement. It'd be nice to have another child in the house again. A little girl as feisty as Kumiko or as gentle as his Yuriko. He sighed once more. It seemed age was making him soft and nostalgic, proving the time for a replacement was long past due.

* * *

"Are you leaving so soon, Shinohara-sensei?" A breathless voice asked from the front gate.

He turned to smile at Yamaguchi. "My business here is done."

"I see. Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" she asked, eyes a little hopeful.

"Unfortunately I've got some matters I need to attend to. Another time," he answered smoothly.

Disappointed yet hardly fazed, she held her hand up, "Stay here and I'll have someone drive you back home."

"That's fine. Tonight I'd prefer to get some fresh air."

"Are you sure? It'd be easy enough for anyone to take you back," she answered. "And its pretty late out right now, you should be careful." Kumiko frowned, thinking of all the women who would attack Shinohara at this time of night.

Shinohara laughed a little and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I think I'll be alright, Kumiko-chan. Take care of yourself and Kuroda-san." Slipping his hands into his pockets, he walked out of the front gate and disappeared into the street.


	3. Omiai's can be fun

**Chapter 3: Omiai's can be fun.**

"Omiai?" questioned Yamaguchi. "There are still men requesting those?"

In fact, the requests had hardly faltered. The family had just wisened up and failed to mention the lesser challenges that had been denied. With the time it took to prepare the pomp and ceremony of an omiai, which really was just a cover for a brawl that never came to fruition in actual prospects of future candidates for the Kuroda head, all the parties involved had decided it would be best to bother their ojou only when the candidate was particularly promising. And as of late, those challengers had been few.

A wicked gleam in her eyes, she cracked her knuckles and chortled ominously to herself while walking out of the room, "A challenger, eh?"

Ooshida grinned and shook his head. There were some things about his ojou that would never change. She still had an overwhelming fondness for track suits, pigtails and glasses that completely skewed any real perception of her age. Yet ojou was a woman, sure as day, and he wanted her to have a woman's happiness. He had high hopes for ojou, and it seeed time was ripe for fruition.

* * *

When Ooshida had mentioned it to her in passing several weeks ago, that another challenger had cropped up and was asking for a beating, Yamaguchi had first thought nothing of it. The procedure was fairly standardized by now and after spending a tiresome afternoon in the salon getting her kimono and hair prepped with a bit of makeup artfully applied to her face, she would return home while most of the preparations at the house were in their final stages or complete. The compound would be cleaned, the good mats taken out and everyone would be dressed in their formal attire. Minoru would have spent most of the day in the kitchen slaving away over refreshments to be politely offered to the opposing gang, the preparation and hospitality an outward display of the Kuroda family's station.

While it was completely fine for Yamaguchi to beat up the challenger, it would hardly stand to reason to be rude to the loser's gang.

But when grandfather took interest in the preparations and even Ooshida had dropped by with a new silk kimono, specially made and imported from Kyoto, Yamaguchi's suspicions began to flare. Nothing however, absolutely nothing had prepared her for the man she now faced.

Looking at him with a mixture of disbelief and indignation, she said the first thing that registered in her mind. "Brat, you never wrote."

He looked older, of course. But even when he was a teen, Yamaguchi had always felt that Shin acted like an adult and his appearance, though striking in its maturity, was not in the forefront on her mind.

What did concern her, however, was the fact that this former pupil that had gone errant for five years was now sitting on the mat normally reserved for her many hopeful and failed suitors.

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, pointing her fan at Shin's head in accusation. He continued to sit completely still, staring resolutely in front of him. "Where have you been? Why are you sitting there?"

Tetsu stepped up beside his ojou, bending down to whisper in her ear

"What!" she yelled, grabbing Tetsu by the collar and shoving him against the wall. "Say that again, punk! An omiai with him?"

"I didn't know it was him until he walked through the door ten minutes ago, ojou," Tetsu cowered. "I swear."

Yamaguchi let go of the scarred man and turned around to face her opponent. "Oi, Sawada, just what do you think you're doing?" she asked him. "I don't know what's going on but don't think you're going to come out of this without a sound beat down."

Throughout her tirade Shin had remained silent. Hunching his shoulder down and resting his hands on the floor in front of him in a small bow to Kuroda, he spoke as though he didn't notice the invisible daggers being thrown at his head from the other side of the room. "I, the Red Lion of the Tsubatsu Clan have come here to claim a match with the ojou of the Kuroda Clan."

Yamaguchi gaped at the forwardness of her ex-student, torn between extreme anger and a grudging admiration for his audacity. At that exact moment he lifted his head at her and stared straight into her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the ferocity in his eyes and from it she realized there would be a fight. Though her face and voice suddenly relaxed the muscles in her back were taut. "Be outside in five minutes." She stepped away to leave the room and stopped. "I won't go easy on you, Sawada."

He gave a slight nod to her back.

* * *

"Red Lion, don't you think you're getting a little serious for a match?" asked the shorter brown haired man as he handed Shin a rubber band for his hair.

"No."

"I mean, I heard she's strong and all, but I've seen you fight. It'd be easy enough for you to take her." The man reached out for the suit jacket Shin shrugged out of, handing him a jacket much more suitable for fighting. He paused in reflection. "She's just a chic."

Shin stopped dressing to stare at the man.

The man held out his hands in defense at the look in Shin's face. "Don't take it the wrong way, I'm just saying." He zipped his mouth shut, "But I won't say anymore."

"Let's go."

Pushing the door open for Shin, they followed the Kuroda guards stationed out the room to the courtyard filled with people. Shin knew many of the faces there, yet all he could really see was her standing in the center of a circle inviting his attention.

At the sight of her he felt the adrenaline rushing through his body. His entire body was tense as he walked towards the woman he had lived for, for the past five years, perhaps even longer. With her glasses off and her hair tied in a single ponytail away from her face, he could admire the invincible hardness in her eyes.

Taking his place in front of her, he finally found the voice to speak to her. "Hello Kumiko."

She bristled at the informal use of her name. About to lose her cool she noticed the tiniest smirk on Shin's lips and realized the brat was trying to rile her before their fight. "Sawada," she smiled through clenched teeth, pointedly using his family name. If he thought he'd be able to catch her off guard that easily he had another hundred years to go before he caught up with her.

Yet staring at him she felt a strange sense of déjà vu. This man she was about to fight had once been her star pupil and the last time they had faced each other they had been something close to friends. She felt, more then knew that it was important she crush whatever plans Shin had in his head. The feeling was random, urgent and without reason and that threw her a little off balance.

Why was her mind screaming for her to beat him? She settled herself in her most comfortable and deadly fighting stance. Whatever it was her instinct was trying to tell her, she wasn't going to ignore. Absolutely, she would win today.

Shin grimaced inside his head. If in the darkest corner of his mind he had the tiniest thread of hope that she might be open to him as a suitor, her fighting stance had broken it. If he lost now, there would be no second chance. With his own strength he would have to force her to see him as more than a student or child. She always made things so difficult.

He settled himself in his own fighting stance, completely prepared to show her what he'd learned in the past five years. She was at one slight disadvantage. Shin had been preparing for this day long before she had a hint of an idea of his intentions. And in all those years never once had he considered losing.

They moved in for the kill.


	4. If you're not getting your ass handed to

**Chapter 4: If you're not getting your ass handed to you on a silver platter.  
**

"You've been busy," she huffed, eyeing him warily from a safe distance, mentally calculating her next move in her head. She used the back of her hand to smudge off a trail of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"It's been a long five years," he answered, also breathing heavily. Wiping away a bead of sweat that was dripping into his right eye, he kept his other eye trained on his former teacher and tried not to think of the pain ripping through his gut.

"Not long enough!" She lunged, her right fist out and aimed for his solar plexus. It was taking too long to end it and she wanted this finished well before she ran out of energy.

In an astonishing feat of agility, Shin maneuvered out of the way of her fist and used the opportunity to attack the side she left open.

Before his fist could connect to her stomach, however, it was caught by a small hand and forcefully pushed back. Shin stumbled back a few steps before falling on his ass. Meanwhile, in order to defend herself from his attack, Yamaguchi had lost her own balance and crashed forward on the grass.

Neither took more then a second to stare at each other before they sprung to their feet and resumed blows.

"You're fast," Yamaguchi grunted just out of reach of his fist, retaliating with her own fist in the side of his ribcage. "Still too slow."

Shin fell to his knees but managed to catch his upper body with one hand on the ground. He looked up at Yamaguchi trying to suppress that familiar feeling of awe, watching her fight. It was hard not to admire her even when she was kicking his ass. Gingerly he got up to his feet and smirked, thinking maybe that was why he admired her after all.

Off his feet before she could react, he caught her off guard with a feigned punch to her right and tackled her to the ground. They both fell hard but it was Yamaguchi who received the brunt of the impact.

"Shi-," She lost her air with the impact of his elbow in her abdomen and through the pain she instinctively rolled out of his reach and onto one knee several feet away from the redhead.

Shit, she finished in her head. This was going no where. He'd been matching her blow for blow and grudgingly she admitted to herself that Shin was strong, stronger then any of her previous challenges. Feeling a ripple of pain in her stomach when she moved, she couldn't help but look at Shin with new found respect, nor was she the only one.

The courtyard was completely silent, contrary to the amount of people watching the fight. Ooshida smiled to himself with barely concealed pride puffing in his chest at the two competitors while Kuroda himself watched the match with a hawk's eye, a thoughtful expression in his face. Tetsu and Minoru stood with their mouths gaped open. They'd never look at Shin in the same way.

From a hidden corner of the compound, dark expressionless eyes also witnessed the exchange. Those eyes fell on Yamaguchi then turned away.

Both bruised and battered, Shin and Yamaguchi faced each other once more, about to attack when a commanding voice that left no room for arguments interrupted their adrenaline pumped bodies.

"Enough." Everyone turned to look at Kuroda. "It is pointless to continue this fight."

While Shin instantly relaxed his posture and waited respectfully for Kuroda to continue, Yamaguchi put down her fists and remained tense.

"There is no winner."

One of Shin's companions stepped forward in protest. "Just what are you trying to pull on us, the Red Lion was about to-"

Keeping his eyes on Kuroda, Shin held up his arm to quiet his companion and think in silence. No winners, he mulled in his head wondering where Kuroda planned to take this. If there were no winners then no one beat him and he wasn't a loser. Shin could live with that. "I never thought it would be that simple to marry her," he admitted.

Kuroda's tiny smile was approving.

"I don't understand," a belligerent voice interrupted Shin and Kuroda's silent conversation.

"Oi, what kind of asses do you think we Kuroda men are, to marry off our ojou to the first monster that beats her? It's about the character of the man during the fight. The character, got that?" Ooshida bellowed, quieting any further protests.

"After Kumiko's first match, word went around that the Kuroda's ojou would never accept a man weaker then her, which is true. Never did she say she'd marry the man that beat her," Kuroda finished more for Shin's benefit then the people around him.

Shin understood. He passed the first hurdle but the real war wouldn't be won with fists. He followed Kuroda's gaze to Yamaguchi.

She looked at Shin then her grandfather, blurting the first thing that came to mind. "I'm not going to marry him!" she retorted. "Not a student."

"Oi, ojou-chan, he hasn't been a student for awhile, maybe you shouldn't be so harsh."

A sharp glare went his way. "Shut up Minoru."

"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled, his head averted.

"Kumiko, try to look past the fact that he was once your student. This is a man before you, not a child. Does this man have the qualities of a leader, and more importantly does this man have a chance at winning your respect and affection."

She took those words to heart. Her eyes turned to look at Shin who had been near silent since they stopped fighting. "It's easy enough to say he has natural born leader written all over his head, and he's always had my respect. More than that, I just don't know." Sighing, she pushed her sweaty bangs back with one hand. "I'll think about it." Her words sounded dubious. Pausing she started again, her voice clear and strong. "I mean, I'll really think about it, okay. Now I need some time alone to cool off and think clearly."

Kuroda nodded. He turned to face Shin, "We will postpone our decision for another time."

Shin bowed respectfully, "I understand." Getting up, the men who accompanied him took his cue and began to collect themselves to leave.

"Sawada, you stay behind."

"Not without us he doesn't."

Shin looked at his men, eyes hard with warning "This is the woman I want to marry. I'd be more than happy to oblige her request."

The men around him paused, hesitant for a bit before nodding.

"Wait for me back at the hotel," Shin said, expecting complete obedience.

"We understand. At the end of your meeting give us a call and someone will come over and pick you up." With a bow of genuine admiration, they filed out of the garden towards their cars.

Kumiko watched this from the sidelines. "Brats."

"They're devoted to him. That's a good thing," Ooshida answered.

Yamaguchi began to walk towards her room. "They're all stinking brats," she muttered to herself. Spotting Tetsu, she called out to him. "Oi, Tetsu, set up a bath."

"Right away ojou."

Ignoring Shin, she disappeared into her room, mumbling to herself.

"Wow, you pissed her off good," Ooshida laughed. "Well, it can't be helped." He clasped Shin on the shoulder, "all in all I think it went pretty well."

Shin gave Ooshida a look, than wearily sat down on the edge of the veranda. He was going to be sore the next day.

"You might want to take a shower yourself," Ooshida continued, "I don't think you want to smell like that when you talk to ojou."

Gingerly he sniffed himself, conscious of the sweat dripping down his face and back. He looked up at Ooshida, "She's gotten stronger."

Ooshida puffed up with pride. "Heh, can't fault her for slacking off when it comes to fighting. She always took to it real natural. You've gotten better yourself since the last time I saw you." He gave Shin a sly look. "Another five minutes and she would have had you."

"You knew?" Shin asked without any real surprise in his voice.

Ooshida's grin was knowing. "I wasn't the only one. Why do you think boss stopped the match?"

* * *

When they brought him into the room he immediately spotted Yamaguchi sitting on a mat on the floor, facing a small table filled with food. "Sit," she commanded.

Stiff and sore from the bruises, he moved awkwardly to comply.

Noticing his movements she looked at him with some concern and amusement. "Are you alright?"

Shin looked at her. "Are you alright?" he answered.

The room was silent with Shin's reminder that she wasn't the only one that got in hits. Then laughter filled the room. Yamaguchi's head was thrown back and she was chortling. "You're still a brat," she guffawed in good humor.

Shin's body relaxed. She wasn't going to kill him. This was a good sign. Maybe.

"Eat up," she gestured cheerfully to the table. "I want to hear what you've been doing for the past five years."

Maybe not. The woman was infuriating. He watched her shovel food in her mouth with no visible care in the world.

She looked up from her plate. "You going to eat that?" Her chopsticks hovered over a rice ball on his plate.

Grabbing his chopsticks and with it, the mini rice ball, he shoved it into his mouth, chewing on it viciously while glaring at his petulant companion.

"Pig," she muttered, using her chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat from the pot.

In a flash another pair of chopsticks grabbed the meat from right under her and she looked up in time to see Shin stuffing the morsel in his mouth and chomping on it while pointedly ignoring her look of outrage.

The rest of the meal was spent with them fighting over food and no more was said.


End file.
